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New books from Karadi Tales!

Dancing Bear, written by Manasi Subramaniam and illustrated by Gwangjo and Jung-a Park

Somu the bear is unusual: He can dance! But Somu wants to be free and unchained. Can his friend Altaf understand this? Will Altaf ever set him free? This poignant story describes the friendship between a young boy and a bear, the boy’s unique understanding of what the bear truly wants, and the true predicament of dancing bears in India.

Dorje’s Stripes, written by Anshumani Ruddra and illustrated by Gwangjo and Jung-a Park

Dorje is a beautiful Royal Bengal Tiger – but he has no stripes on his body. In a small Buddhist monastery in Tibet, Master Wu, a good-hearted monk, tries to understand the secret of Dorje’s missing stripes. This sensitively written, beautifully illustrated story takes us to Tibet, Bengal, and the heart of the Royal Bengal Tiger.

The Moustache Man, written by Priya Ramanathan and illustrated by Garima Gupta

Nekgaon is a perfect village. Yes, everything’s perfect – from the cock’s crow to the setting sun. But one wily man arrives and changes everything about Nekgaon with his strange demand. Read this mischievous book to see how perfect Nekgaon becomes imperfect.

When the Earth Lost its Shapes, written by Shobha Viswanath and illustrated by Christine Kastl

One day, all the shapes in the world disappear. [Note from Tarie: OMG, nooooooo.] No one knows where they are. Everything changes and becomes shapeless – from the egg to the kite to the orange. It is up to the little dot to restore shape to the world. This heartwarming, sensitively illustrated story about team spirit and conviction takes us into the wonderful world of shapes.

Whose Lovely Child Can You Be?, written by Shobha Viswanath and illustrated by Christine Tappin

Gulgul is not really sure where she comes from – then her entire family decides to tell her the story of the magical day she entered their lives. And Gulgul realizes that she’s far more special than she knew! This tender story in rhyme is about the wonderful experience of having a child in your life.

It's hard to choose just one when presented with such a selection of books. @_@ The illustrations for Dancing Bear and Dorje's Stripes look sublime, I like the concept behind When the Earth Lost its Shapes, fun and funny books like The Moustache Man are always a hit in the classroom, and Whose Lovely Child Can You Be? looks like a classic that could make me cry.

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